Web conferencing software allows users to share files, desktops, and other data while simultaneously conducting voice communications. A person wishing to host a web conference (the “host”) operates web conferencing software to create and send conference invitations via email to intended meeting participants (“users”). The users' machines receive the invitations and place them in the users' electronic calendars. The invitations include the proposed date and time of the web conference, any desired details entered by the host, and a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) to be followed (e.g., clicked) to join the web conference. Each user may open the invitation in the user's calendar on the user's machine and follow the URL to join the web conference at or near the designated start time. Once a user is connected to the conference, the user may share his or her desktop with other conference participants and/or exchange files or other data. If the user's computer has a speaker and a microphone (or an audio headset), the user may speak with other conference participants through the established connection using VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol).
Web conferencing invitations also typically provide telephone numbers and access codes for computers that do not support audio communications and/or that have poor network connections. Conference participants still follow the URLs in the conference invitations to exchange data, but also dial in to the conferences using the provided telephone numbers. For example, a user places a telephone call to the telephone number listed on the invitation and responds to user prompts to enter the access code provided. The user will thus be connected to the conference for sharing data via the URL, but may also speak with other conference participants using the user's own telephone.